Should Republicans go ahead and add Supreme Court Justices to head off Democrats

Democrat glee over Katrina relief effort is premature

Dick Morris:

DEMOCRATS and their allies think they have at last found the perfect storm to sink the Bush presidency and, possibly, shake the GOP domination in the Delta area. The media has constantly harped on the political damage President Bush's belated response to the hurricane disaster will cause.

Don't believe it. Yes, his reviews in the first days after the tempest hit are clearly bad and he obviously failed to anticipate the magnitude of the response the nation expected and the area needed — but relief is a gift that keeps on giving.

Day after day after day, people will see a massive flow of federal aid to the hard-hit area. While the storm's intensity and the catastrophe it caused concentrated into a few days the horrific experiences of the poor victims, the rebuilding process will take months and years. This process, likely to become a theme for Bush's second term in the way 9/11 dominated his first one, will ultimately become a presidential strength.

Bush has no choice but to make an appropriate effort — meaning a massive federal involvement. As the length and breadth of this commitment becomes clear, Bush will find a new source of popularity.

Like all Americans, I am revolted at the total failure of the government to anticipate and respond to the needs of its citizens. The rape, murder, looting and psychological scars that flowed from this public myopia are inexcusable. When FEMA saw the storm headed for New Orleans, why didn't it send the trucks immediately on their way? Did it take a genius to figure out that the region would lack for food, fuel and water? Why didn't the feds force the issue and take a leadership role, instead of waiting for the local officials to make a request? Why wasn't there an immediate airlift of meals and water the minute the winds died down?

They do not send the relief supplies immediately becuase it would be destroyed in the storm too. It makes sense to wait until the storm passes to send in the relief supplies. There was no immediate airlift because local authorities are suppose to provide relief during the first 72 hours after an event. The local failure cascaded up hill making the federal effort out of sync.